Why I hate shopping for clothes
I'm one of those guys who never got into the habit of shopping for clothes. This is a different from the utilitarian practice of buying clothes, as replacements for worn out clothes or for a particular requirement. Shopping for clothes assumes one is constantly on the lookout for new clothes, new ways of presenting the self.

One reason for this, in my case, is a lack of money, but another reason is that I don't feel confident busying clothing that is not relatively nondescript, department-store fare. The reason is encounters like this:

I was wandering around Davie Street and on impulse I walked into a men's wear store. Before I had a chance to even look around and get comfortable with the situation, one of the two clerks, the male, started into me. He quickly passed me over to his female colleague.

Standing way too close to me and speaking way too fast, she said, "Looking at you I can tell, you've got broad shoulders [true], you've got a 34 waist [also true], but you dress old [what?]. My partner and I are older than you but we dress younger."

At this point, I'm was biting down the urge to back out the door and leave. I don't appreciate pressure sales techniques, even when shopping for things I definitely want and feel some confidence in buying, and this was not one of those cases.

Ms. Sales Clerk continued without a break, "I have clients in their fifties, their women won't date them because they look bad, until I was able to help them."

In what world is telling a prospective client he dresses too old a good idea? This was shock and awe, aimed at making the customer pliant and susceptible. You know, like stunning cattle before slaughter. Enabling insecurity might encourage some people to send, but not me. I want some reassurance and encouragement, particularly if I'm out of my comfort zone.

At last, I managed to say, "I think I had better run along now," and beat a hasty retreat to the safety of the street outside, checking my wallet on the way.